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Gender Disparities in Health Outcomes of Elderly Persons in India

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  • Vani Kant Borooah

Abstract

This article uses data from India’s National Sample Survey (NSS), relating to respondents’ health outcomes between January and June 2014, to quantify a particular form of gender inequality: inequality in self-rated health (SRH) outcomes between men and women aged 60 years and above. In so doing, it makes five contributions to the existing literature. The first is in terms of analytical technique; this study contains a more detailed and nuanced exposition of the regression results than in previous studies. Second, it controls for environmental factors—like poor drainage, lack of toilets or ventilation in the kitchen—which might have adverse impact on health and, in particular, affect the health of women more than that of men. Third, it takes an account of interaction effects by which the effect of a variable on an elderly person’s SRH differed according to whether the person was male or female. Lastly, it examines whether SRH is correlated with objective health outcomes. In particular, this study answers two central questions: Did men and women, considered collectively, have significantly different likelihoods of ‘poor’ SRH between the different regions/income classes/social groups/education levels? Did men and women, considered separately, have significantly different likelihoods of a ‘poor’ SRH within a region/income class/social group/education level?

Suggested Citation

  • Vani Kant Borooah, 2016. "Gender Disparities in Health Outcomes of Elderly Persons in India," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 11(3), pages 328-359, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:soudev:v:11:y:2016:i:3:p:328-359
    DOI: 10.1177/0973174116666445
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John Bongaarts & Christophe Z. Guilmoto, 2015. "How Many More Missing Women? Excess Female Mortality and Prenatal Sex Selection, 1970–2050," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 41(2), pages 241-269, June.
    2. Umberson, Debra, 1992. "Gender, marital status and the social control of health behavior," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 907-917, April.
    3. Rajindar Sachar & Saiyid Hamid & T.K. Oommen & M.A. Basith & Rakesh Basant & Akhtar Majeed & Abusaleh Shariff, 2006. "Social, Economic and Educational Status of the Muslim Community of India," Development Economics Working Papers 22136, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
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    5. Borooah, Vani K., 2005. "The height-for-age of Indian children," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 45-65, March.
    6. Lucky Singh & Perianayagam Arokiasamy & Prashant Kumar Singh & Rajesh Kumar Rai, 2013. "Determinants of Gender Differences in Self-Rated Health Among Older Population," SAGE Open, , vol. 3(2), pages 21582440134, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Laishram Ladusingh & Melody Thangjam, 2021. "Policy reforms and changing intergenerational support of elderly in India," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 401-416, December.
    2. Manish Kumar & Shobhit Srivastava & T. Muhammad & Priya Saravanakumar, 2022. "Examining the association between health status and subjective life expectancy among older Indian adults based on the mindsponge approach," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    India; NSS health survey; health outcomes; gender; disparity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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